The Rotary Club of Warren met Tuesday, May 3 for its weekly meeting inside the Fellowship Hall at First United Methodist Church. The club heard from Warren Junior Rotarian Hector Torres before Rotarian Dana Harvey presented her program. Harvey’s program was Holly Johnson, who is the Senior Assistant Attorney General for the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU), which is part of Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge’s office. Johnson also had Investigator Andrea Murdock with her. Johnson gave an overview of what their office does and how they investigate Medicaid fraud. Medicaid fraud can include abuse, neglect, or exploitation. The MFCU monitors and takes action regarding the abuse or neglect that a Medicaid recipient may suffer in long-term health care facilities. There are times that Medicaid residents, especially the elderly, are physically and sexually abused or neglected by health care workers. Physical abuse or neglect includes anything from striking to sexually assaulting a resident, to withholding necessary and adequate food, physical care or medical attention. Financial abuse includes the misuse of a resident’s trust funds to pay for nursing home services already being paid for by the Medicaid program or for uses of a resident’s funds not authorized by the resident or the resident’s guardian, trustee or administrator. Medicaid fraud can also occur when providers use the Medicaid program to obtain money they are not entitled to. Johnson went on to explain that they also have the ability to prosecute some cases criminally along with civil penalties. However, their office has to have permission from local district attorneys to prosecute or they can just be used an asset to help investigate claims of Medicaid fraud. Medicaid fraud can be reported online confidentially. Johnson stated that they get complaints from all kinds of sources including workers who may have witnessed fraud in their workplace, law enforcement, other governmental staff, and family members. Johnson concluded her program by answering a handful of questions from the crowd.
Rotary Program (5-3-22) from L to R: Andrea Murdock (Investigator), Holly Johnson (Senior Assistant Attorney General Medicaid Fraud Control Unit), and Rotarian Dana Harvey
